Independent
Tottenham centre-back Cristian Romero has been ruled out for the rest of the year.
The 23-year-old suffered a hamstring injury playing for Argentina in last month’s World Cup qualifier against Brazil and a second scan showed he will not be fit to play before 2022.
He will miss at least 10 games between now and January 2, starting with Brentford at home on Thursday, with boss Antonio Conte unsure when he will be fit again.
Conte said: “The news is not positive, the injury is serious. It will take time before we see him again. Surely next year, we have to check his injury week by week, but the injury is serious.
“Now he is trying to recover but he needs a long time to recover. It is a pity because he is an important player for us, the injury is very serious.
“I don’t know, January, February. But for 2021 he has finished to play. We have to wait and recover well.”
Romero’s injury could force Spurs to act in the January transfer window, but Conte is playing it cool, insisting he has had no thoughts about what next season might entail.
“Honestly when I decided to become Tottenham manager I didn’t speak about this aspect,” he said.
“When you take a job, you have to make your evaluations and you have to feel your sensation. And honestly I felt Tottenham was the right club to work and to bring my ideas and philosophy of football. For this reason, I accepted the job…
